Mystery snail eggs & inverts journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I do not see any movement even when using magnifying glass. However I will let this sit and check back in an hour to see if anyone has suctioned. 
 

@Guppysnail

[Guppysnail]

Let them sit. They can suffocate or dry out or something along that line I can’t remember which is my understanding if the shell is to hard and they cannot escape in time. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I have a few updates. The remainder of clutch 2 was unsuccessful.  I gave it a few hours and there was no change. 😢

However!  Clutch 2 had some successes. Here is a clip showing what happened along the way. (Also one crumble of the .. crumblier(?) part about two weeks ago yielded 12-13 healthy babies. )
 

Also at the time of my determining the outcome of clutch 2, 3 more land snails arrived at my door. This Sprouts mailer has been handy for removal and transport to the shade garden. 
 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Today clutch 6 was laid. I’ve got to first find a store who will buy snails before deciding what to do. 

Also I used the @Guppysnail feeding method this morning. Looks like it’s a hit!

Quick, everybody get on the raft!

 

The babies are decimating the anubias nana petite. That’s ok. 🙂

 

I noticed that some of the parasnailing snails grab a piece of duckweed before making their leap. Little parachute? 🤣

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Land snail visit today. ORD 😍

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Found 4 more land snails yesterday!

Today I made the decision to freeze clutch 6. I have also listed most of the snail babies for sale here on the forum. 
 

Today I gave them a nano banquet block. Seems like they are enjoying it. I want to see how long it lasts because next week I plan to take a trip with an overnight stay, and I think the block(s) would be a good choice for food during that time.
 

I also added a second sponge filter and it is undergoing inspection now.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Had an unusual experience with the banquet food block. Yesterday was the first time the babies have had it. First off, I think only 3 ate it. 24 hours later nearly every snail is.. asleep? Not the norm. Also some snails are attempting to burrow. I did dig up some snails as a welfare check, and they were ok.

I removed the food block and did a water change and snails started moving around. However, after that, nearly every snail began to burrow. 
 

The only change I made to the tank was the banquet food block. So, why are they burrowing? Did it release CO2 into the water?  Does something that was released not feel comfortable on their skin?

Green bean and algae wafer is on the menu today. Possibly another water change after work if everyone is still acting weird.

And I didn’t even know mystery snails burrow.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea
fix typo

[Guppysnail]

When mine are young they burrow after devouring a wonder shell piece or nano block. They usually come up from the burrow with a very good amount of new shell growth. Co2 will cause them to go to the water line. 
I used to get alarmed but now I’m guessing they are just tucking themselves in a safe spot to take a long nap and put all their energy into forming new shell. Total guess but I’ve never seen issues. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I found an article which might explain things. https://petfishonline.com/why-snail-digging/

The snails may be burrowing because:

They are trying to escape light.  They did burrow after I turned the light on, but they never have before.  However, I don't have any caves in the tank. Maybe I should add at least one.

The water parameters were not good and/or snails are stressed.  I tested ammonia and nitrite. Ammonia was at about a .2 but I used Prime so it's nontoxic ammonia. Nitrite was 0. I didn't run any other test. I should have though, to get more information. 

They are looking for food. Perhaps they don't recognize the banquet block as food and are trying to find food anywhere in the tank that they can.

These are the things from the article that made sense to me. When I get home this afternoon, I am going to check water temperature because I didn't look at that this morning, and I am also going to give them a "swim-through" flowerpot or a little log decoration so they have some shade.

On 7/5/2022 at 8:58 AM, Guppysnail said:

When mine are young they burrow after devouring a wonder shell piece or nano block. They usually come up from the burrow with a very good amount of new shell growth. Co2 will cause them to go to the water line. 
I used to get alarmed but now I’m guessing they are just tucking themselves in a safe spot to take a long nap and put all their energy into forming new shell. Total guess but I’ve never seen issues. 

Interesting!!!   This is so bizarre @Guppysnail!   I didn't expect this!  Living up to their name "mystery" snail.  

I am thankful that I decide to use sand vs. bare bottom.  It allows them to do what they need to do for their own wellbeing. They know best.  I'm just along for the ride. And what an amazing one it has been. Loving every minute.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@Guppysnail how long did yours stay in your substrate?

Also in case you guys didn't know, @Guppysnail was just blessed with a clutch from her magenta mystery snails (see her journal!).  I'm beyond excited for you! ORD 😍

[TeeJay]

I have noticed mine don't really care for the nano food blocks. Anytime I have put them into my tanks nobody goes after them.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On my way home from work, I stopped at the hardware store and found some baby snail condos. I mean, just in case they wanted some shade. 😎

When I got home, everyone was out and about. I felt a lot better.

 

I like to put a rock in front of each condo. Its like putting up a house number. So that snail 1 can give directions to snail 2. “Hey, come meet me at my house. The address is light gray rock.”

One snail checks out the new digs immediately. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

And lastly, they finished off their anubia stems meal and here’s the leftovers. Besides all the floating leaves. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

One snail is snoozing in a cave. Someone appreciates the caves! Most of the other snails are ravaging the green bean. There is not enough room on the green bean for everyone so I ended up offering a side dish of Repashy. Other snails are up at the waterline enjoying the bubbles. The bubbles have been surprisingly popular! It blows around their little feelers, kind of like a dog sticking its head out of a car window and letting its ears flap in the wind. Apparently they like that. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Snails benefit from caves. 😊 They like to sleep in them. Have at least one. I remember York used to sleep in a battleship every day. Doubt she’d fit in there now! 🐷 

Here’s an older picture. You can see what my aquarium used to look like! 😳🙄🥸 Anyway, you can see her battleship there. Helmet equipped, she was ready for anything! 💪 Now she sleeps in the flowerpots or log or just wherever.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Guppysnail]

On 7/5/2022 at 9:11 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@Guppysnail how long did yours stay in your substrate?

Also in case you guys didn't know, @Guppysnail was just blessed with a clutch from her magenta mystery snails (see her journal!).  I'm beyond excited for you! ORD 😍

Some a few hours anywhere up almost 2 full days. The 2 day one I kept checking on. He dug a hole under an anubias. That became his bedroom for naps for a few months, sometimes inviting siblings in for a sleepover 🤣 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Guppysnail]

On 7/5/2022 at 6:30 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

And lastly, they finished off their anubia stems meal and here’s the leftovers. Besides all the floating leaves. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Is it possible the rhizome of this one was not so healthy? I have never had a mystery snail eat any portion of my myriad of nubias. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/6/2022 at 7:39 AM, Guppysnail said:

Is it possible the rhizome of this one was not so healthy?

 

[Guppysnail]

On 7/6/2022 at 7:58 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

 

Sometimes snails see/smell/6th sense ailing plants before we can see anything. I have had them munch on stem plants and when I pull the stem up to see why ant trim the roots have been mushy or disintegrated.  
 

I want to take a moment to thank you for doing this wonderful and detailed journal.  Having hatched multiples so much of the “mystery” is gone and is now just cute behavior.  Your excitement on this new adventure reawakens memories of the wonder of my first few clutches. I’m enjoying it so much. 
 

Other folks who embark on a first time venture will have this lovely and fun accounting to explain so many of the unique and odd things along the way. 
 

So big thanks from me and future mystery adventurers 🤗

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/6/2022 at 8:04 AM, Guppysnail said:

Sometimes snails see/smell/6th sense ailing plants before we can see anything. I have had them munch on stem plants and when I pull the stem up to see why ant trim the roots have been mushy or disintegrated.  

That's been my experience with York also.  She's also been guilty of chewing off the ludwigia at the stem level too though. Usually when I find it, the part where it was chewed was brown & slimy, so it probably was on its way out.  I replanted all those ludwigia and they grew into new plants.

 

On 7/6/2022 at 8:04 AM, Guppysnail said:

I want to take a moment to thank you for doing this wonderful and detailed journal.  Having hatched multiples so much of the “mystery” is gone and is now just cute behavior.  Your excitement on this new adventure reawakens memories of the wonder of my first few clutches. I’m enjoying it so much. 
 

Other folks who embark on a first time venture will have this lovely and fun accounting to explain so many of the unique and odd things along the way. 
 

So big thanks from me and future mystery adventurers 🤗

You are so sweet.  ORD! ❤️ Thank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying it!  Might I remind you that this journal was your idea?  🙂 

I love writing posts about the snails.  My husband does NOT care to hear about the snails, but I need to talk about them because I'm still excited all the time at everything they do!  Example: "I have some groundbreaking news!" (The day I found the different color mystery snail in the tank that I had not even put snails into yet).  Husband: "It better not be about snails." 🤐

They are so cute and unique, and taking care of them gives my life purpose. Watching the eggs hatch was magical; I was at the tank for 3-4 hours during that time: watching, gently helping, rinsing newborn snails off the little styrofoam platform, down into the breeder box so they could join their buddies and find the food.

By posting I do feel like I'm helping the folks that are new to hatching mystery snails. At some point someone will find a clutch and have that panicked, yet curious response to it and want to hatch it, but yet they don't know the first thing about it.  That was me!  I put a lot of tags on this thread so that those folks can easily find this and read about what they can expect (cuteness).

[Guppysnail]

On 7/6/2022 at 8:45 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

My husband does NOT care to hear about the snails, but I need to talk about them because I'm still excited all the time at everything they do! 

This is what got me hooked on my tank journal . My hubby is just not interested in tanks. He is ever grateful for my forum journal. Gives his ears a break. 😂

 

On 7/6/2022 at 8:45 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

taking care of them gives my life purpose.

Old and retired with no fleshy children.  My critters give me purpose as well. 

 

On 7/6/2022 at 8:45 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

By posting I do feel like I'm helping the folks that are new to hatching mystery snails.

You are. I often get dm’s about old posts with questions on things I put in my journal.

 

🤗

[AquaHobbyist123]

I'm hopefully going to try to breed mystery snails soon.

[AquaHobbyist123]

Mystery Snails are some of my favorite inverts.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea